7even Inches

Baby Ray Sorry/Open Season (Thirsty Ear) Great guitars, beats, and angry vocals. Reminds me a lot of the Fall, but with much more pop music energy, rather than disinterested observations. Both songs climax with powerful pop guitar crescendos. (DLB) • Bluetip Dischord Number 111 (Dischord) If Fugazi went for more of a rock sound, I think it would come out sounding an awful lot like Bluetip. This is DC post-hardcore with a Rebel Without A Cause/road movie fixation, which makes for great driving music. Their last full length, also on Dischord, stayed in my car’s tape deck for weeks straight and ever since I got this seven inch, I’ve been pulling that tape out more and more. I hope this means there’s a new LP coming out soon. (JR) • CIV Secondhand Superstar (Some) Just released after Thirteen Day Getaway, you will get a fast and furious taste of CIV’s harder side in under five minutes. “Owner’s Manual” and “Second Hand Superstar” are featured on the their new album, Worm’s Eye View is included on this 7″ and is also part of the Road Rash 3 video game soundtrack. (PH) • CIV Secondhand Superstar (Some) I hope the album isn’t as artsy fartsy new wave sounding as this shit is… The second side is WAY better! More MOONDOG rip offs by CIV… (BS) • The Coldspot Eight Don’t Hold Back (Dynamite) The debut 7-inch from Orlando’s traditional ska sensations Coldspot Eight is a 2-track winner. The A-side, “Don’t Hold Back,” is an upbeat dance party with great horns. The B-side, “Mama Julie,” is a little more soulful, with some sassy backing vocals. Both tracks are blessed with solid grooves from a tight rhythm section, and smooth, strong, and powerful lead vocals. This record isn’t to be missed, this band could really go places with the right breaks… (JD) • Crizzy and the Punx Lay Down/She (Mash It Up) Good hard rock, with injections of Flea’s basslines and occasional yelling. Throw in some odds ‘n ends, including noir sexuality and there you have it. (DLB) • Duster Transmission/Flux (Up) If steel-belted Prozac on a lithium-drained cortex sounds like Duster my only question is this: What does the teen spirit smell like after it’s been charred beyond recognition? If this is too mellow for you, I’ll have what they’re having. Maybe we should all throw back a few more swats so we can get down on this vibe. (RTT) • The Farewell Bend 7″ (Slowdime) This band features ex-members of Boys Life and Giants Chair, two bands that did that mid-western emo thing about as good as anyone. This is more in the straight ahead rock vein than the stuff that either of those bands did. It guess it more closely resembles the sound on the first Boys Life LP if you had to pick a band that this favors. An all around pretty alright record. Slowdime keeps putting out stuff and I keep buying. I’m noticing a pattern here. (JR) • I Hate Myself/Strikeforce Diablo Split (Fragil) My God!!!! The Strikeforce Diablo side of this record is amazing. The I Hate Myself side is just about their best song but it’s up against some fierce competition in SD. Damn! Go buy this record and wear out the grooves. IHM = quiet/loud emo. SD = ROCK — and THAT’s the straight poop. (JR) • ICU Do The Twist/Russian Rhapsody (K) A quirky drum & bass parody? Production is light while the compositions are simple. With that aside it is inspiring to see a label such as K tread beyond their turf. (RTT) • Pung State of the Youth 6″ (No Idea) Pung is I Hate Myself’s snotty punk rock younger brother who’s actually older but doesn’t act like it. If some of Pung’s crazy energy could carry over onto IHM then I think I could really get into that band. Pung’s side of their free split with Less Than Jake a few years ago was classic (I put “Gonorrhea” on every mix tape I made back then) and this picks up where that left off. Fast, snotty punk rock. The Assuck cover parody is hilarious. I don’t know if this means that No Idea is out of size possibilities now, but I’m sure they’ll come up with something new really soon. (JR) • Sick of it All Reissue of Original Self-Titled 7″ (Revelation) If you don’t have it YET, now you finally can! A true classic. (BS) • Tren Brothers Gone Away/Kit’s Choice (Secretly Canadian) More majestic guitar looping and quiet improv soloing from the Dirty Three rhythm section. Calming, focused, and uplifting. Get this before the new Dirty Three album. (CB) • The Virgin Whore Complex Coldest Night Of The Year/Frustrated Playwright (Emperor Norton) A couple of years back Penn & Teller and Kramer conspired a flyweight indie project it sounded like this. In the late 80’s only a label like Sub Pop could get away with it. C’mon Norton show us what you got. (RTT)